Final Fantasy VII: After Crisis
by Maria-Elric05
Summary: This story takes place after all the final fantasy games but more so takes after of the events in Dirge of Cerberus. None of the characters of the game belong to me, except for Rose and a few other who will come later in the story.
1. Chapter 1

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~_On golden wings, She flies at night  
With her dress, It's blinding white  
Countless diamonds, And her long blonde hair..._

A lone figure with long blonde hair and her dress pure white stood by the water, staring into it's depths. She stood over the lake in the Forgotten City where a friend she known was killed by someone that she thought she knew and had even once fought side by side with back when she was a Turk.

Rose Buame had originally planned on joining SOLDIER with her childhood friend, Cloud Strife. When they were kids, Cloud found her sitting alone in an alley one rainy night and invited her back home with him. When Cloud's mother saw her, she immediately took Rose in, raising her as her own. Rose and Cloud grew close, having an brother-sister like relationship. They were inseperable and always had each other's back. Then, when they were old enough, the two of them decided together that they were going to join Shinra's elite group of SOLDIER, together.

They had traveled together from their home in Nibelheim to Midgar where the Shinra Headquarters was located. They both made it into SOLDIER and even fought together several times. However, when President Shinra saw Rose's skills, he thought her too good to be just a SOLDIER. She had many skills that many of the guys did not. She had more agility and speed, allowing her to use attacks that none of the guys could master. And she was a master at surprising her enemies, able to sneak up on them without making a sound.

When President Shinra made Rose a Turk, her and Cloud were seperated. They rarely ever got to see each other and when they did get to see each other, they were always being watched. They got the feeling the President Shinra was trying to seperate them, drive a wedge in their friendship. They wouldn't allow it. They saw each other whenever they could, even sneaking out if they had to. They knew it was risky but they believed that their friendship was worth it.

While in the Turks, Rose had also made some knew friends. She became friends with two of her fellow Turks, Reno and Rude. Reno she found funny and easily entertaining, even if he could be annoying sometimes. Rude was a guy that she always enjoyed sparring with once in a while. He was always serious, compared to Reno's more laid-back, fun loving nature.

She also became friends with 1st Class Soldier's Sephiroth, Genesis Rhapsodos, and Angeal Hewley. She grew close to each one. She would often train with them in the simulation room, especially Genesis because he gave her more of a challenge and she had always liked a challenge. She had been sent out on missions with each of these men but it seemed the one she got paired with the most was Genesis. At first, he didn't seem to like the idea of him being paired with a girl for missions that a man should do but once he saw her skills, he came to respect her and the two even became close. A little too close for some people's comfort, especially President Shinra. He made sure that the two were watched closely.

Then, one night, things went too far and the two found themselves fighting for their very lives against their own comrades.

**_Flashback_**

_Rose sat alone on a riverbank, staring up at the stars overhead. She always loved sitting under the night sky. It was so peaceful and beautiful. This had always been a ritual for her, even as a child. Sometimes, even Cloud would join her and the two would merely sit in silence, watching the stars and enjoying each other's company._

_Right then, she noticed the presence of someone else and she didn't have to look to know who it was. There was only two people would dare approach her without first making their presence known. One of whom she never got to see anymore, and the other she often trained with and had even fought side by side together._

_"When the war of the beasts brings about the world's end, The goddess descends from the sky, Wings of light and dark spread afar, She guides us to bliss, her gift everlasting." came the voice she knew so well._

_"Is there ever a moment when you aren't quoting that poem?" asked Rose with a smile on her face, showing she wasn't entirely serious. She actually enjoyed listening to him quote LOVELESS, his favorite poem._

_"You know the answer to that better than anyone else." said Genesis as he moved to sit down next to her, not taking his eyes off the stars._

_"Hmm, yeah, that I do." said Rose, still smiling. Tearing her eyes away from the stars, she looked over at the man sitting beside her. "So, what brings you out here anyway?"_

_"I saw you sitting out here all alone so I thought I would come join you, give you some company if you wanted it." said Genesis._

_"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do." said Rose, glad to finally have someone's company. It can get lonely sitting under the stars by yourself with no one to share it with._

_"I figured that you would." said Genesis as he too tore his eyes from the stars and looked over at her._

_Silence past between the two but nothing even needed to be said. Their eyes said everything that their mouths nor words could. Then, Genesis slowly reached up and brought a hand up to the side of her face. Rose leaned into his touch, closing her eyes. She could feel his thumb gently caressing her cheek. She knew where things were going to lead from here. She also knew that she shouldn't but she wanted it to happen, they both did. They had been holding off for too long. They couldn't do it any longer._

_Deciding to take the chance, Rose opened her eyes only to find herself staring back into Genesis'. She reached up and placed her hand on top of his, trying to silently tell him what she wanted. What she knew he wanted. What they both wanted. Hell, what they both needed. The tension from having to resist and hide everything was too much. They couldn't fight it anymore. _

_Genesis dove forward and pressed his lips against Rose's own and she welcomed it whole-heartedly, even returning it. She placed her arms around his neck, pulling him down with her as she laid down on her back. She knew that there was no turning back now, and she had no desire to either._

_The next morning, Rose found herself rudely awakened when the door to her room burst open and she was grabbed by the arms roughly and pulled out of bed. She could see Reno and Rude standing in the doorway._

_"Hey, what the hell is the meaning of this?" she demanded, even though she already knew the answer._

_"President Shinra wishes to see you." said Rude, his serious demeanor showing through completely, which sent up a red flag because he never acted this serious with her._

_Rose glanced over at Reno but he avoided her gaze. He looked sad, almost as though he didn't want to do this. She knew that she was in trouble, but she was willing to bravely accept the consequences of her actions. She would not be afraid and she did not have any regrets. She allowed the men holding her to drag her from her room to the president's office with Reno and Rude following behind them._

_President Shinra was sitting behind his desk when they entered his office and his son, Rufus Shinra, stood beside him._

_"Good to see you Rose. Too bad it has to be under these circumstances." said the president._

_"What circumstances do you mean sir?" asked Rose, trying to play it off as best as she could. She wasn't going to give herself or Genesis away if they had dragged her out of bed for some other reason than what had transpired last night._

_"You know exactly what circumstances I mean Miss Buame, but I'll humor you but only because I've been so fond of you since you joined us." said President Shinra._

_Now Rose knew that she really was in trouble. Whenever the president called her Miss Buame, it meant nothing good would come from it._

_"I have been watching you Miss Buame, as I am sure you have noticed. I've had men watching you and a certain 1st Class Soldier. Do you have any idea who that might be Miss Buame?" asked President Shinra. He was toying with her._

_"No sir, I don't. I hang out with quite a few 1st Class Soldier's sir. I'm afraid you may have to be more specific." said Rose, trying her best to sound as though she was not trying to be disrespectful even though her statement was true._

_"Do not get smart with me Miss Buame. Remember who you are speaking to and who holds your fate in their hands." said President Shinra._

_"My apologies sir. I meant no disrespect." said Rose._

_"Of course not." said President Shinra, though he was being sarcastic. "I have been watching you and your so-called friendship with 1st Class Soldier Genesis Rhapsodos. It seems that the two of you have quite a close bond. Maybe one that is much more than just friendship."_

_Rose knew that he was trying to taunt her, to get her to say something so that she stepped out of line and would make it easier for him to punish her but she kept silent. She wasn't going to let him win._

_President Shinra saw this and decided to step up his game a little bit. He knew it wouldn't take much more to make her crack._

_"So, are you willingly going to tell me what is really going on between the two of you? Or do I have to get it out of you another way?" he asked._

_"Nothing is going on sir. Genesis and I are merely friends, nothing more." said Rose, lying not to protect herself but to protect Genesis. It was all she could do._

_"Very well. Have it your way Miss Buame." said President Shinra. He nodded to the men holding Rose._

_The two guards pulled Rose with them as they led her out of the president's office. Once outside the office, another guard blindfolded her and her hands were restrained behind her back than she was led elsewhere. Where, she didn't know. She just allowed them to lead her wherever they were taking her before being shoved in a room and she heard the door shut and lock._

_When the guards had thrown her into the room, Rose had fallen on her side on the floor and she didn't bother to even try and get up. She chose just to lay there, trying to think of a way out of this. She had to warn Genesis, before they went after him too. She attempted to try and free her hands but it was of no use._

_However, little did Rose know that President Shinra had already sent men to Genesis' room only to find it empty. They were now checking the entire headquarters searching for the missing SOLDIER. Orders were to shoot him on sight. No one bothered to question why. They knew better than to question any order that the president gave. If you did, there were major consequences to pay later._

_Just then, Rose heard the lock on the door before hearing it open and footsteps told her someone was walking into the room. She heard the footsteps draw closer to her before someone helped her into a sitting position, freeing her hands and taking off the blindfold. That's when she realized that she was face-to-face with Zack Fair, a newer member of SOLDIER. She looked over and saw Angeal standing a few feet away. She wasn't surprised to see Angeal here. He was Genesis' best friend._

_"Thought we would come lend you a hand." said Angeal._

_"Thank you, but right now we have to find Genesis before Shinra does." said Rose as Zack politely helped her to her feet, her concern more for Genesis than for herself._

_"Don't worry, they aren't going to find him. President Shinra made the mistake of putting Zack here in charge of the group sent to retrieve Genesis. Zack called me and I warned Genesis. He wanted to come for you but I told him that he should just get out of here, Zack and I would take care of you." said Angeal._

_"Thank you Angeal. Thank you both." said Rose, glad that Angeal had done what he had. The last thing she would have wanted was for Genesis to risk coming after her himself and risk getting caught._

_"Not a problem. We knew that it would just draw too much attention if Genesis tried to come get you himself. Plus we knew that you wouldn't want him to take that risk." said Zack._

_"Now let's get you out of here before someone comes down here and finds out what we're up to." said Angeal._

_"Too late." came a sudden voice._

_All three turned to see both Reno and Rude standing in front of the door, blocking their exit. Angeal and Zack both drew their swords, ready to fight. Reno and Rude took their own fighting stances._

_"No, wait!" said Rose, standing between the four guys before a fight broke out and she didn't want that. All four of these guys were her friends and she didn't want to see her friends fighting. "Reno, please. You don't have to do this."_

_"I'm sorry Rose, but we can't let you leave. President's orders." said Reno._

_"Reno, I know you don't want to do this. Please. No one has to know. You could say that we were already gone when you got here. I'm begging you. Please, I don't want to see you get hurt." said Rose, hoping and praying that he would see reason._

_Reno was silent for a moment, seeming to think it over. It was true, he really didn't want to do this. He didn't want keep Rose here where anything could happen to her. Rose was his friend and he cared for her. He would rather let her go than make her stay locked up where President Shinra could do whatever he wanted with her. He knew that Rude didn't want to do this either. They had been good friends with Rose since she had got to Midgar and first joined SOLDIER. This could only ruin it._

_Reno made his decision, moving out from in front of the door and relaxing his stance, allowing for Rose, Angeal and Zack to leave. Rude looked at him for a minute before he followed his partner's actions._

_"You should go now. SOLDIER's will be down here any minute." said Reno._

_Rose couldn't help but smile, relieved that she wouldn't have to watch any of her friends fight each other. She looked at Zack and Angeal and, seeing that they took a relaxed stance as well, motioned for them to go first since at the moment, she was unarmed and defenseless. _

_Zack went first, opening the door and checking that the coast was clear before nodding at Angeal, who followed. Rose followed after Angeal, stopping in front of Reno first, throwing her arms around him and hugging him._

_"Thank you." she whispered as she felt Reno return the embrace._

_"Go now, before it's too late." said Reno._

_Rose did as she was told, releasing him with great reluctance and heading out the door with Angeal._

_Carefully, the three made their way through the halls and corridors of Shinra Headquarters, being cautious to not make a sound or be seen. They made it out with success and made their way toward the outskirts of the city. Should President Shinra sent any SOLDIER's after them, they didn't want to take the chance of any innocent people getting hurt or getting caught in the crossfire._

_Once on the outskirts of the city, Rose spotted a bike sitting in the shadows but there was only one and three of them._

_"Angeal will take care of you from here. I have to go back and make sure that Shinra stays off your trail. I'll meet up with you later." said Zack._

_Before Rose could even open her mouth to argue, Zack had turned and was gone. She knew that there was no turning back. It was just the two of them now and they knew that they needed to get away from the city before they were discovered. She watched Angeal climb on the bike first before climbing on behind him, holding on as he sped away from the city. She had no idea where he was taking them but she didn't care, as long it kept her away from Shinra and as long as she could see Genesis again._

_Just then, a blast hit the ground in front of them and Angeal had to screech to a stop. However, the stop was too sudden and the bike flipped, throwing it's passengers to the ground. After they were able to stand, they saw a figure standing some feet away. Rose immediately recognized the long black hair._

_"Micah." she said. She didn't understand why Micah would attack them but at the moment, she didn't care why. All she knew was that he had and if his aim at actually been accurate, he would have hit them._

_"President Shinra sent me to retrieve you and take you back, and to kill anyone who stood in my way. Such a shame too. You were a good SOLDIER once Angeal." said Micah._

_"Don't do this Micah. You don't understand." said Rose, wanting to plead with her friend._

_"Oh, but I do Rose. You and Genesis did what was forbidden. He's a 1st Class SOLDIER, you're a Turk. No matter how much either of you want it, it is impossible for you to ever be together. You should have just kept your feelings locked away. It would have been easier on everyone, including you." said Micah._

_"Micah, please. You don't have to do this." said Rose._

_"Yes I do. You broke the rules Rose, now you must pay the consequences of your actions." said Micah. And with that, he attacked._

_Rose knew that, even though Angeal was merely feet away, he was too far away to be able to get to her in time._

_"Rose!" yelled Angeal._

_Rose closed her eyes and waited for the blow to come, but it never came. She opened her eyes to see that someone had jumped in front of her and blocked the attack. She recognized the red coat._

_"Genesis." she said, happy to see him and see for herself that he was alright and that he was safe._

_Genesis stood his ground with Micah, his eyes locked with those of his former comrade. He had never felt so angry in his life than he did right now after seeing Micah go after the one girl in the world that he truly cared about and would gladly give his life up for._

_"Well well, good to see you again Genesis. I knew you would come out of hiding to protect this girl. Only a girl such as her could make someone like you so weak." said Micah._

_"Well I guess that's where we both differ Micah. Rose doesn't make me weak, she only makes me stronger. Not as though someone like you is capable of even understanding what I'm talking about." said Genesis._

_Micah said nothing as he stood glaring back at Genesis. He was disappointed that he had been unable to strike down Rose, but he was glad that he was able to successfully draw Genesis out into the open. He knew that Genesis would come back to save her. He knew that Genesis would be unable to simply leave her behind, to allow her to be harmed without protecting her._

_"Angeal, take Rose and get her out of here. Take her somewhere safe, where Shinra won't be able to find her." said Genesis._

_"You got it." said Angeal. He walked over and went to take Rose by the arm and lead her away but she didn't move._

_"Wait, what about you?" asked Rose, already knowing the answer before she had even asked the question. She knew that Genesis was going to stay behind to fight Micah and hold him off while her and Angeal made their getaway._

_Genesis didn't even answer. He knew that he didn't have to. He knew that Rose already knew the answer._

_"Don't do this. Come with us, please." pleaded Rose. She was scared, scared that if she left with Angeal she would never be able to see Genesis again and she didn't want that to happen. She didn't want to lose him._

_"Rose, please. This isn't the time. Just go with Angeal. Everything's gonna be alright. I promise." said Genesis, placing a hand on her cheek as he spoke, brushing away a stray tear that had escaped from her eye._

_Rose nestled into his touch, closing her eyes. She wanted nothing more than for Genesis to come with her, but she knew that he had made his decision. She knew that he was going to stay behind to buy her and Angeal some time to get away. She just hoped that she was going to be able to see him again. She opened her eyes back up when she felt his hand move away._

_"Just be careful." said Rose._

_Genesis simply smiled at her for a brief moment._

_"Even if the morrow is barren of promises, Nothing shall forestall my return, To become the dew that quenches the land, To spare the sands, the seas, the skies, I offer thee this silent sacrifice__." he quoted, the verse being from the fifth act._

_Rose couldn't help but smile, shaking her head._

_"You and that poem." she said. She was never surprised when he would randomly quote it. She actually enjoyed it when he did._

_Angeal took her by the arm again and Rose allowed him to pull her away from Genesis but she refused to take her eyes off of him until she had to as Angeal pulled her over to the bike. He picked it up before climbing on it and Rose climbed on behind. Her and Genesis' eyes remained locked on each other as Angeal drove away until they couldn't see each anymore._

**_End Flashback_**

That was the last time she ever saw Genesis, the last time that anyone ever saw him. People had tried to tell her that he was dead, but she refused to believe it. She knew that he was still alive. If he was dead, she would have felt it. She knew that much. He was out there somewhere, being unseen by those who he wished to not see him and only seen by those who didn't know him. She believed that one day, she would see him again. It was only a matter of time. Nothing could keep them apart.

Rose continued to stare at the spot where Cloud had released Aerith's body after she was killed by Sephiroth. She would have never thought that in a million years that Sephiroth would turn bad, but he had and it took everything they had to stop him. Cloud had been devastated by the loss of Aerith. Rose knew him well enough to know that, and she could see it in his eyes. She could still see that sadness in his eyes and she knew that it would always be there.

When Rose and Cloud had been reunited, Cloud had become a member of a group called AVALANCHE. They were the opposite of SOLDIER, posing a threat only to Shinra. The group had also contained Tifa Lockhart, a childhood friend of both Cloud and Rose. There was also a guy named Barret Wallace in the group. They gathered more along the way: Cid Highwind, Yuffie Kisaragi, Red XIII, Cait Sith, and Vincent Valentine. With the help of their friends, they were able to defeat Sephiroth, and stop Shinra. However, they were lucky to have escaped with their lives.

Now, several of the friends lived in what remained of Midgar, now called Edge. Tifa had opened a bar called 7th Heaven. She lived there with Cloud, Rose and some of the neighbornood kids, two of which the three had become fond of: a young boy named Denzel and a little girl named Marlene, who resembled Aerith a lot. Marlene was a girl that Barret had took in and adopted when her parents were killed. Denzel is an orphan that they took in and he has become close to Cloud.

The unpleasant thing was that Rufus Shinra, now the president of Shinra since his father was killed by Sephiroth, and four of the Turks: Reno, Rude, Tseng and Elena also lived nearby. Rufus wanted to rebuild Shinra, claiming to want to help rebuild the world and right the wrongs that Shinra had done. He swore that he had turned over a new leaf but it was difficult to trust him. He seemed to understand that and claims that he doesn't blame people for not trusting him after all that Shinra had done in the past.

Right then, Rose was quickly pulled from her thoughts when she heard a twig snap behind her. She turned to see what it was only to see that it was only Denzel, Marlene, and two other kids who had become fond of Rose, Kera and Noah. The two were siblings, Kera being the youngest and Noah her older brother. Their parents had been killed like many others by Sephiroth when he had attacked Nibelheim and set the city ablaze. An old friend of Rose's, who was also one of the few to survive the attack on Nibelheim, had brought them to 7th Heaven and Rose took them in.

"Hey, what are you guys doing here?" asked Rose as she stood up from where she sat on the ground.

"Looking for you of course. Tifa had told that you had come down here, so we thought that we would come down here too." said Denzel.

"Why do you always come down here alone Rose?" asked Marlene.

"I guess 'cause it helps me clear my head sometimes. I like being alone every now and then, but only so I can think." said Rose.

"Is it because of those nightmares you've been having? We all heard you last night, and the other nights as well." said Noah.

Rose was a bit taken back by this. She didn't think that anyone knew about her nightmares. She didn't even know that anyone had even heard her. No one had ever said anything to her before so she never brought it up. But it was true, she had been having nightmares that past few days. Each one was different, but all of different bad memories from her past, of her worst fears.

"Will you sing a song for us Rose?" asked Kera.

Rose looked at the young girl. She knew that Kera and the other kids all loved to hear her sing to them and often requested her to do so, which she never minded and was always happy to do. She smiled and nodded at the little girl.

All four children found a spot on the ground to sit and sat around her, watching as she sat down as well.

"Armies have conquered, And fallen in the end, Kingdoms have risen, Then buried by sand, The Earth is our mother, She gives and she takes, She puts us to sleep, In her light we'll awake, We'll all be forgotten, There's no endless fame, But everything we do, It's never in vain;

"We're part of a story, part of a tale, We're all on this journey, No one's to stay, Where ever it's going, What is the way?

"Forests and deserts, Rivers, blue seas, Mountains and valleys, Nothing here stays, While we think we witness, We are part of the scene, This never-ending story, Where will it lead to?, The earth is our mother, She gives and she takes, But she's also a part, A part of the tale;

"We're part of a story, part of a tale, We're all on this journey, No one's to stay, Oh where is it going? What is the way? We're part of a story, part of a tale, Sometimes beautiful and sometimes insane, No one remembers how it began.

"We're part of a story, part of a tale, We're all on this journey, No one's to stay. Oh where is it going? What is the way? We're part of a story, part of a tale, Sometimes beautiful and sometimes insane, No one remembers how it began."

The four children clapped and applauded for Rose's little private performance. They always enjoyed it when she would sing just for them, no one else. It seemed to make they feel like the songs that she sang when she sang to them were only for them and not for anyone else to hear. Rose never sang the same songs that she sang for the children as she did for others.

Just then, as a soft breeze blew, Rose sensed that something was wrong. There was someone else there with them, watching them, and she got the feeling that they weren't friendly. She knew that she had to protect the kids. She quickly grabbed her sword from her bike and stood ready.

"You four stay close to me." said Rose.

The children did as they were told, standing as close to Rose as they could. Denzel stood with Marlene and Noah stood close to Kera, the boys using themselves to sheild the two girls if they had to.

Suddenly, in a blur, a figure came out of nowhere and attacked Rose but she deflected the blows and defended herself and the children. She fought off each attack and even dealt blows of her own, which were also deflected. Her main concern right now was not winning the fight but making sure that the children stayed safe.

Right then, two figures came out of nowhere and attacked Rose as well. Now she was up against three and she didn't like the odds. She needed help but the others were too far away. She was on her own. Then she heard the sound of a bike and without even having to look, she knew that it was Cloud.

The three attackers jumped out of the way as Cloud zoomed by. He then turned the bike around and came back to Rose and the children. Marlene and Denzel climbed on behind him. Rose quickly climbed on her bike, putting her sword in a compartment on her bike, and Kera and Noah climbed on behind her before Rose and Cloud sped off, heading back toward Edge.

"Who were those guys Rose?" asked Cloud.

"I don't know. They just came out of nowhere." said Rose.

"Here they come!" exclaimed Denzel.

Rose and Cloud both looked behind them and sure enough, the two attackers were on their own bikes and were speeding after them.

"Noah, come up here." said Rose, helping Noah as he moved in front of her. "I need you to take over. You remember what I taught you?"

"Yeah, everything." said Noah as he took over the driving.

"Good. And no matter what, you don't stop. Keep going, no matter what happens, you got it?" asked Rose as she pulled her sword back out and held it ready.

"Yes ma'am." said Noah, although he didn't like the fact that if something happened to Rose, he wouldn't be able to stop but he had his sister to think about.

"Protect your sister alright? She needs you. Don't worry, everything's gonna be alright." said Rose. She helped Kera move up behind her brother than stood on the back of the bike, ready for action.

"Rose!" yelled Cloud, tossing Rose a second sword, which she caught and held ready.

* * *

Inside of 7th Heaven, Rose sat on a chair at the bar while her arm was being bandaged up by Tifa. Cloud sat next to her, watching. Their other friends (Barret, Yuffie, Vincent, Cid, and Red XVIII) were there as well. The children had gone upstairs, slightly shaken but otherwise unharmed.

"So you have no idea who those guys were who attacked you, or what they even wanted?" asked Barret.

"Not a clue. They never even spoke, they just attacked us. I'm just glad that none of the kids were hurt." said Rose. She had got a small gash on her arm from where one of the guys had tried to attack Kera and she had pushed her out of the way, getting cut by the guys' sword.

"Well you're lucky that all the guy did was give you a cut on your arm. It could have been a lot worse you know. You really shouldn't go out anywhere by yourself. It can be dangerous." said Yuffie as Tifa finished bandaging Rose's arm.

"Thank you Yuffie, I am quite aware of that fact." said Rose before getting up and going upstairs to her room, closing the door behind her. She then leaned back against it and heaved a sigh.

Downstairs, all the others were looking at Yuffie. She seemed to cower under their looks. She knew that she had done or said something that she shouldn't have.

"What? What did I say?" asked Yuffie.

"Rose is well aware of the dangers out there Yuffie. And she can handle herself. She doesn't need anyone to protect her." said Cloud.

"Yeah, she sure proved that today." said Yuffie sarcastically.

"She was more worried about the kids. Rose isn't like the rest of us. She's been through a lot more than we have. Her whole family disappeared when she was just a kid. She lived on the streets until she met Cloud." said Vincent.

"Even then she felt alone. Then there's everything that Shinra put her through. We were supposed to be in SOLDIER together, but when President Shinra saw her fighting skills, he forced her to join the Turks. After that, we didn't see each other very much and when we did, it wasn't for very long and we were always watched. Then she was sent on more and more missions and we were unable to see each other at all. I don't know anything that happened after that. She never talks about it." said Cloud.

"Cloud and I have been the only real family that Rose has had for the longest time. She doesn't know anything about how her family disappeared or what happened to them. And she's been afraid to get close to anyone because she's afraid they'll disappear, just like her family. Just imagine losing your entire family and living alone when you're still just a child. I think that's why she's so close with Noah and Kera. She understands what they're going through and how they feel." said Tifa.

"Oh. I didn't know." said Yuffie.

"And you wouldn't. Rose doesn't like to talk about it much, only to Cloud and I once in awhile. Even then, it makes her uncomfortable to talk about it." said Tifa.

"I'm sorry you guys." said Yuffie.

"We're not the ones that you really need to apologize to." said Tifa.

"Oh. Yeah, right." said Yuffie nervously. She didn't like it when Rose was in one of her moods. It usually meant that the next person to mess with her was going to get hurt, badly. Yuffie didn't want it to be her. Rose scared her enough as it was.

Everyone who knew Rose knew that she was normally a calm, very sweet person but once you made her mind, you had better watch your step or you would end up on the wrong end of her wrath. And Rose wasn't exactly the easiest person to upset. It took a lot usually but when she did get upset, it was never a pretty sight.

Yuffie decided that it would be best to just get it over with and headed up the stairs to Rose's room. She hesitated a moment before softly knocking on the door.

"Come in." came Rose's voice.

Yuffie took hold of the handle, turning it and pushing the door open. She saw Rose standing in front of the window, staring out of it.

"What can I do for you Yuffie?" asked Rose. She hadn't even turned to look at who had entered her room.

"I just...I wanted to apologize..for earlier. I didn't mean anything by it and..." said Yuffie but she was cut off.

"Yuffie, it's alright. You couldn't have known. There's no need for you to apologize. Don't worry about it." said Rose. She had heard the conversation that had taken place downstairs moments ago.

"Oh." was all Yuffie found that she could say.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to be alone for awhile." said Rose.

"Yeah, sure thing." said Yuffie before turning around, walking out of Rose's room and closing the door behind her, heading back downstairs.

Once Yuffie left the room, Rose was able to return to her thoughts. To what she remembered about her dreams that she had been having recently. She didn't know what to do about them, or how to make them stop. She did, however, know what they were about. Or at least who. She remembered seeing his face very vaguely in her dream, but she couldn't mistake the voice that she had heard.

"Genesis." whispered Rose. She knew that it was him. And her dreams were trying to tell her something about him. Just exactly what, she didn't know yet. She just knew that she had to figure it out, and something told her that she needed to figure it out soon. Or else if she didn't, it would be too late. She was certain of one thing. If Genesis was in her dreams, he had to still be alive. And maybe he was trying to send her a message through her dreams. "I'll find you Genesis. Wherever you are, no matter what it takes, I will find you."

_Lost in the darkness, Hoping for a sign, Instead there's only silence, Can't you hear my screams? Never stop hoping, Need to know where you are, But one thing's for sure, You're always in my heart;_

_I'll find you somewhere, I'll keep on trying, Until my dying day, I just need to know, Whatever has happened, The truth will free my soul;_

_Lost in the darkness, Tried to find your way home, I want to embrace you, And never let you go, Almost hope you're in heaven, So no one can hurt your soul, Living in agony, Cause I just do not know, Where you are;_

_I'll find you somewhere, I'll keep on trying, Until my dying day, I just need to know, Whatever has happened, The truth will free my soul;_

_Wherever you are, I won't stop searching, Whatever it takes, need to know;_

_I'll find you somewhere, I'll keep on trying, Until my dying day, I just need to know, Whatever has happened, The truth will free my soul._


	2. Chapter 2

_A lone figure was suspended in a water orb in a cave underground. It was too dark to see the figure's face but it was obvious that it was a man. There was silence in the cave, dead silence. Not a sound was to be heard. Not a creature to stir. There was no movement in sight, no sign of any life anywhere, not even from the man trapped in the watery orb._

_Suddenly, there was something like a shock-wave throughout the cave and the water orb exploded, releasing the man from within. The man landed on his feet on the ground and stood up straight. The man was wearing a long red coat and red gloves, the rest of his outfit and his boots being black. He walked forward, walking on the water and over to a rock in the middle of the lake. He stood there for a moment before a long black wing appeared and he flew out of the cavern, disappearing into the night sky._

"Genesis!" exclaimed Rose as her eyes flew open and she sat bolt right up in bed. Once she realized that she was awake and she was still in her room, she relaxed. Her head fell into her hands and she couldn't help but feel disappointed. "It was just a dream."

It had seemed so real though. It was like she was right there, with him. It was like it had actually happened, and she had lived it. Rose took her hands down from her face and looked out her window, up at the night sky. She could almost see him, flying among the stars. None of her other dreams had felt this real. This one had to mean something.

"He's out there. This proves it. He is alive and he's out there somewhere, alone." said Rose. She couldn't help but wonder if he knew where she was, if she was still alive, if he would come looking for her. "I have to find him." She said, throwing back the covers and getting out of bed. She grabbed her boots and silently made her way out of her room, down the stairs and out the door. She put on her boots than climbed on her bike.

"Rose, where are you going?"

Rose turned around to see Kera standing behind her, staring at her. She was relieved that it wasn't Cloud or one of the others. They would have tried to stop her.

"There's something that I have to do. I can't explain it right now but there's someone that I have to go look for. But I'll be back, I promise." She said.

"And you'll bring your friend with you when you find them?" asked Kera.

"Yes, I'll bring my friend back with me if and when I find him. Now you should go back to bed, it's late." said Rose.

"Okay." said Kera before going back inside.

Rose moved quickly before anyone else came out. She started up her motorcycle and sped off, heading out of the city. She had no idea where to start looking or where he might be, but she knew of a place she could check out first, a place that only the two of them knew about. She knew that it was going to be a long journey, but she felt that it would be worth it in the end.

* * *

The next morning, everyone sat gathered downstairs eating breakfast. Everyone that is except for Rose. Only one person knew where she was, all the others just figured that she was still in her room, not ready to come down yet or she could still be asleep.

"Someone should go see if Rose is up and if she is, ask her if she wants anything to eat." said Tifa.

"I will!" exclaimed Marlene excitedly as she jumped up and headed for the stairs.

"She's not up there Marlene." said Kera.

This made Marlene stop and turn to the other girl, as well as everyone else.

"Kera, what do you mean Rose isn't upstairs? Where is she?" asked Cloud.

"I don't know where she is, but I saw her leaving last night. She said there was something that she had to do, that there was someone that she had to go look for." said Kera.

"Did she happen to say who she was going to look for?" asked Yuffie.

"No, but she said that she was coming back and that she was going bring her friend back with her." said Kera.

Everyone got quiet for a minute. Then Cloud stood up and started moving toward the door.

"Cloud, where are you going?" asked Denzel.

"I have to go find her. I can't just leave her out there by herself. If she runs into any trouble, she might need some help." said Cloud.

"Then we'll all go." said Barrett.

"What about the kids? They can't stay here by themselves." said Tifa.

"Then you two ladies stay here, let us men handle this." said Cid to Tifa and Yuffie.

"Oh, you are so sexist." said Yuffie.

"No, Cid's right. You two need to stay here with the kids, in case Rose comes back before we can find her." said Cloud.

"Alright, but be careful. All of you." said Tifa.

"Don't worry about us." said Barrett as the four guys headed out in search of their friend.

* * *

**_Author Note:_**_Sorry that this is such a short chapter. I'll have more when I can._


	3. Chapter 3

Rose first made a stop back in the Forgotten City. She knew that it was probably a bad idea but she still had something that she wanted to do. She sat alone by the water, making a wreath made of flowers from Aerith's church. She finished attaching the last flower than slowly walked into the water to the spot where Cloud had placed Aerith after Sephiroth had killed her and gently placed the wreath in the water over the spot, letting them float there. She stood there for a moment, staring at the wreath.

"We miss you Aerith. It's still hard to believe that it's been almost three years since you died. I think it was the hardest on Cloud. He blamed himself for not being able to save you. He did the same when Tifa fell from Mt. Nibel. Hopefully he's learned that he can't save everyone, nor is it his fault when someone gets hurt. He's there and he tries, that's what matters.

"Anyway, I need to go. I just wanted to pay my respects to you. You've helped us so much and you're always there when we need you. You deserve it." said Rose than she turned and walked out of the water, heading to her bike. She climbed on her bike and sped off, making at a cliff overlooking Edge and what remained of Midgar. There was a buster sword in the ground. This was where her friend Zack Fair was killed by Shinra troops. She didn't turn off her bike this time. She got off long enough to place another flower wreath on the sword before getting bike on her bike and speeding off again.

_**Flashback**_

_Rose was riding her bike back to Shin-Ra headquarters after completing another mission. President Shin-Ra had allowed her to come back after Genesis had disappeared, believed to be dead. Rose, however, believed that the only reason that she had been allowed to come back was because of the fact that Zack and Cloud had disappeared, wanted by Shin-Ra for being traitors but Rose didn't believe it. She only came back to Shin-Ra so that she could find them before Shin-Ra and help them get away safely. Cloud was her good childhood friend, almost like her brother and Zack was another good friend of hers, someone she met in the very short time she was in SOLDIER. _

_Rose was usually sent out on missions with Reno and Rude so that they could watch her but this time, she was sent out on her own. Ever since she had come back, she was constantly being sent out on missions. She supposed it was a form of a punishment for her. In not only hoping to find Cloud and Zack before Shin-Ra, she was also hoping to find and be with Genesis again. He was proving to be harder to find than Zack and Cloud. And, unfortunately, after returning to the Turks, she had learned of her other friend, Angeal Hewley's death at Zack's hand. She wasn't sure whether to believe that or not._

_Just then, her cell phone rang. She pulled off to the side of the road before taking it out and answering it._

"_Rose, its Reno. Where are you?"_

"_I'm on my way back. Why? What's going on Reno?" asked Rose. She could sense that something was wrong._

"_Just meet me at the train station and I'll explain." said Reno before hanging up._

_Rose closed her phone and put it in her pocket, a little dumbfounded. Reno would usually tell her what was going on over the phone. If he didn't, it had to mean that something bad was going on._

"_Cloud, Zack." she said. She sped off toward the train station, barely missing a car that was passing her. _'Please be okay you two.'

_Rose arrived at the train station in a matter of minutes. She spotted Reno and Rude waiting for her. She pulled up beside them, not bothering to turn off her bike._

"_Reno, what the hell is going on?" asked Rose._

"_Zack and Cloud were spotting not far from here, heading this way. President Shin-Ra has sent every infantryman after them. He wants them both dead. He's out for blood. He has everyone out there looking for them and orders are to shoot on sight." said Reno._

"_Why didn't you call me sooner?" asked Rose but she sped off before Reno could answer._

"_You should've told her the truth." said Rude._

"_I know. She'll find out sooner or later though." said Reno._

_As Rose sped through Midgar looking for Zack and Cloud, she spotted Aerith walking along with her usual basket of flowers._

"_Aerith!" she called out, stopping beside Aerith._

"_Rose, what's wrong? You look upset about something." said Aerith._

"_Get on and I'll explain everything." said Rose._

_Aerith climbed on behind Rose and held on as Rose sped off through the city._

"_What's going on Rose? Has something bad happened?" asked Aerith._

"_No, not yet it hasn't." said Rose._

"_What do you mean?" asked Aerith._

"_The president has sent every Turk, SOLDIER, and infantryman out after Zack and Cloud. They were spotted near here and they're heading this way. Orders are for them to be shot on sight. I have a feeling something very bad is about to happen to them. I have to find them before Shin-Ra does and they're killed." said Rose._

"_You don't think…?" asked Aerith._

"_I hope not Aerith, I hope not." said Rose._

_Hours seemed to fly by as the two of them searched Midgar for their friends but saw no sign of them. They then went to Aerith's church to see if they were there. Aerith climbed off the bike and headed in to her church to look._

"_They're not here either." walking back outside where Rose waited on her bike._

"_I'm gonna start looking outside the city. You stay here in case they show up. I'll come back as soon as I can." said Rose._

"_Right. Be careful Rose." said Aerith._

"_Aren't I always?" asked Rose, giving a reassuring smile._

_Aerith smiled too but chose not to answer. She watched as Rose turned rode away and headed out of Midgar to search for their missing friends._


End file.
